The Risks of Drinking Outside of Work Hours


drinking after work

For example, a spouse may threaten divorce, or the alcoholic may be arrested for driving under the influence. In most agencies, it is the employee relations or human resources specialist who actually prepares or drafts adverse or disciplinary action letters, including those involving a firm choice. A firm choice is a clear warning to an employee who has raised alcohol or drug abuse in connection with a specific performance, conduct, or leave use incident or deficiency. He or she must make a choice between accepting treatment for the alcohol or drug problem and improving job performance or facing disciplinary action, up to and including removal.

Get Help With Alcohol Addiction

Choosing one at the end of a long day isn’t easy, but you’ve got powerful incentives working for you and lots of choices below. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. Once you’re in recovery, your EAP counselor can meet with you and your supervisor to go over your ongoing treatment, job requirements, and if you need work adjustments or close supervision. “If you are driving, it is highly alcohol and violence statistics respectable to not be drinking,” Kiepek explains.

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It is important to immediately and accurately document in writing what has transpired. Record all the events that led to sending the employee home, especially if any disciplinary action is necessary. It is important to work with the EAP and employee relations staff and keep them informed of such events because the quality of the information they receive from you impacts on the quality of their advice and service. If the employee is disruptive to the workplace, you should remove him or her from the immediate worksite.

  1. An agency may not take disciplinary action solely because an employee declines to undergo a voluntary alcohol test.
  2. Carolina Public Press is an independent nonprofit news organization dedicated to nonpartisan, in-depth and investigative news built upon the facts and context North Carolinians need to know.
  3. This means that putting employees or others at risk by allowing a drunk employee to continue working could make the employer liable in law.
  4. These consequences can be costly for employers, especially if they occur because an employee is drinking at work.
  5. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses.

In the First 8 Hours

People with alcohol use disorder should be monitored by a medical professional when withdrawing from alcohol. Moderate to heavy drinkers can also benefit from medical supervision in the acute withdrawal stage. Information provided on Forbes Health is for educational purposes only. Your health and wellness is unique to you, and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment plans.

Workplace alcohol use can result in higher turnover rates and customer dissatisfaction, as well as higher healthcare payments. In the workplace, there is likely to be little or no obvious impact on the alcoholic’s performance or conduct at work. At this stage, the alcoholic is not likely to see any problem with his or her drinking and would scoff at any attempts to indicate that he or she might have a problem. The alcoholic is simply not aware of what is going on in his or her body. Once prepared, you should notify the employee of the time and place of the meeting.

(Please see the material in the Appendix ) With permission of the client, the EAP counselor will keep you informed as to the nature of the problem, what type of treatment may be needed, and the progress of the employee in treatment. Before releasing this information to you, or anyone else, the counselor would need a signed written release of information from the client which would state what information may be released and to whom it may be released. The EAP counselor will also monitor the employee’s progress and will provide follow-up counseling if needed.

drinking after work

If you find yourself struggling to manage your drinking after work, it might be time to seek professional help. Regular after-work drinking, often seen as a way to unwind, holds significant psychological implications for individuals. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Being under the influence of alcohol at work is not covered by employment laws, but there is health and safety legislation that relates to the subject. Sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 state that employers have a duty of care to ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of employees. This means that putting employees or others at risk by allowing a drunk employee to continue working could make the employer liable in law. It’s important to remember that any employee with a drinking problem has the same right to support and confidentiality as those with other mental or physical health issues. This guide will explain how to help an employee who has a drinking problem, what to do if they’re drinking during work hours, and whether alcohol dependence can count as a disability. Why does an alcoholic continue to drink despite the known facts about the disease and the obvious adverse consequences of continued drinking?


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